Die structure



STRUCTURE M E. HALsTl-:AD

DIE

Filed sept. 24, 195e Nov. 30, 1937.

Patented` Nov. 30, 1.937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to cutting and punching dies. Although applicable to various dies in different industries, the invention is primarily intended for use in the shoe industry, where a special diiiculty in die equipment is encountered.

Common decorations on shoes include pinked edges, and rows of holesY punched in the top layer of leather along seams by which adjacent uppers are joined. If the rearward edge'or throat of the vamp is to be pinked or decorated Vwith a row of holes on a particular style of shoe having graded uppers, it is necessary for themanufacturer to have a diiferent die for every size of shoe.

For another style of shoe a new setk of dies is necessary, and since dies are expensive the capital investment required for decorating shoes becomes excessive, particularly in the case of womens shoes where variety is demanded and it is customary to make only a limited quantity of the same style.

It is an object ofv this invention to provide a die structure in which inexpensive, interchangeable parts make it possible to change the contour of the cutting apparatus to correspond to the shape of any size or style of shoe upper. 'Ihe expression cutting apparatus is used herein as a generic term to describe a knife blade, such as used for pinking, or a series of punches for making decorative holes, or a combination of a blade and punches.

According to one feature of the invention, the cutting apparatus; insteadr of being set in a permanently fixed organization in the die structure 3S is retained by holders which are detachably held on a base and which can be maintained in a different relation for use with other styles or sizes of vshoes by interchanging the cutting-apparatus holders for others of different shape. The advantage of such an organization is that the eX- pensive parts of the die can be used for decorating uppers of diierent sizes and shapes, and the manufacturer needV replace only the inexpensive holders of thecutting apparatus when changing -to a different style of. shoe.

The preferred embodiment of the invention employs the ribbon blade cutter disclosed in my Patent No. 2,078,569, dated April 27, 1937, and/or the chain of punches disclosed in my application Serial No. 102,383, filed September 24, 1936, but in its broad aspects the invention is not limited to, die structures using the cutting apparatus of said patent and application.

Another object of the invention is to provide 55an: improved die structurewhich holds the cutting' apparatus at the correct height above the die holder of the machine, possesses the necessary strengthan'd' will not warp or deteriorate in use, but which by virtuel of novel features of its construtcion is much lighter than corresponding 5 die structures of the prior art. The inertia of my improved die structure is, therefore, less, and the manual labor of sliding the die back and forth between loading and cutting positions for each shoevl upper decorated is so much reduced that operators of less physical endurance can be employed tov run the machines in which the die is used;

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for holding the stripper plate on the base of the die. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the specication proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof:

Fig. l is atop plan View, with one-half of the stripper plate` broken away, showing a die embodying the invention;

Figs; 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along th'e lines 2--2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of the' cutter chain.

The die illustrated comprises a base II on which cutter holding slides or plates I3 and I4 are held. These cutter holders I3 and I 4 have confronting edges with a contour similar to that of thepiece to'be decorated, and they are spaced to form a channel I5" in which exible cutting apparatus is placed and held to the desired contour.

The cutting apparatus shown in the drawing includes a limber pinking blade Il constructed of steel ribbon stockof such thinness that it requires-'lateral support in order to withstand the cutting force. Such a blade having a thickness of .005-.015 inchcuts effectively without sharpening, and when corrugated for its full height is so limber that it can be bent around sharp curves'nclu'cling abrupt right angle bends. This blade is disclosed in myy Patent No, 2,078,569, datedApril 27, 1937.

The cutting apparatus includes also a flexible chain I9 madeup of blocks 2I, 22 having overlapping lugs' connected by pivot pins 23, as shown in Fig. 4. A tubular punch is secured to each of the blocks 2|, and two similar, but smaller punches 2B are'secured to each of the blocks 22. The punchings which enter the tubular punches arevdischarged through passages 28 opening through the sides of the blocks, as shown in Fig. 3. The detailed construction of such a chain of punches is shown in my copending application Serial No. 102,383.

The knife I1 and chain I9 rest on the base II and are held firmly in the channel between the holding plates I3 and i4 by clamping the holding plates in a manner hereinafter explained. The plates I3 and i4 are constructed of plywood. The edge of the holding plate I3 and the rearward faces of the blocks of chain I9 provide the lateral support for the knife I1. The holding plate i4 has channels 39 in its bottom face for y the escape of punchings from the passages 28.

The base Il is of laminated construction. That illustrated includes a metal base plate 32 on which rest the knife I1, chain I9, and holding plates I3 and i4. The die structure by which the cutting apparatus is supported must be of such thickness that the cutting apparatus is located in correct operating position when the die structure is resting on the die holder of the machine with which the invention is to be used.

By combining the relatively thin metal base plate 32 with plywood 34,'which makes a laminated wooden base under the metal base plate 32, the cutting apparatus can be held at the desired height, and the weight of the die structure can be kept low. Wear of the bottom face of the plywood would change the thickness of the die structure, but such wear is prevented by providing a metal surface or runners 35 on the bottom of the base II. Flat head, countersunk screws 31 threading into the runners 35 clamp the edges of the plywood between metal laminations of the base.

Undercut guides 39 are fastened to the base plate 32 along two parallel sides by screws 49. 'Ihe cutter holding plates I3 and I4 have projections 4! extending into the undercut channels of the guides 39 so that the plates I3 and I4 are dovetail slides held on the underlying base by the guides 39.

A stop 43 extends across the base between the guides 39 at their rearward ends. This stop 43 limits the movement of the holding plate I3 in a rearward direction. A clamping member 45 is drawn against the front edge of the holding plate I 4 by screws 45 that threadV into nuts 41 embedded in the plywood 34. There is a recess 49 in the front edge of the base II for punchings in the channels 39 to drop through. Without this recessthe escape of punchings from the channels 3i! would be'blocked by the clamping member 45.

By removing the screw 45, the clamping member 45 can be taken off and the, cutter holding plates i3 and I4 can then be slid forward and removed from the die structure.k Other plates which form a different contour channel for holding the cutting apparatus can be inserted in place of the plates I3 and I4. If the knife I1 is to be used without the chain I9, a narrower channel is required, since the edge of the forward cutter holding slide has to clamp the ribbon knife against the rearward slide.

'Ihe plywood cutter-holding slides can be made with a jig or band saw to a contour corresponding to the shape of the piece to be pinked or decorated. The same knife I1 and chain I9 can be used Vwith slides having different contour edges. The invention makes it possible for a manufacturer to decorate a wide variety of shapes and styles of shoe uppers with one base II and interchangeable cutter-holder slides for shaping the knife I1 and chain I9 to the contour' of the edge to be decorated.

The material which is to be punched and pinked is supported above the cutting apparatus by a stripper plate 5I. Studs 52 extend downward from the stripper plate into openings 53 (Fig. 2) in the base II. A bushing 55 surrounding each of the studs 52 has a recess 5S and is held at a definite level in the opening 53 by a clip 51, the ends of which extend through the recess 56. 'I'he clips extend through holes in the plywood 34 just below the metal plate 32, and are held firmly in the base by friction. When these clips 51 are inserted in the base as far as the length of the holes will permit, their midportions extend beyond the side of the base so that they can be hooked or gripped firmly when they are to be withdrawn.

A spring 50 surrounding each of the studs 52 is compressed between the stripper plate 5 and the bushing 55. A screw 62 threaded intothe lower end of the stud 52 limits the upward movement of the stud, and since the bushings 55 are held at definite levels by the clips 51, the springs 50 hold the stripper plate ata definite level with the top of the plate slightly higher than the cutting edges of the punches 25 and flexible blade I1.

The stripper plate 5I has a slot 54 over the cutting apparatus, the slot being, of course, the same in contour as the channel between the plates I3 and I4, though not necessarily of the same width.

The shoe upper, or other sheet, to be decorated-v is positioned with respect to the cutting apparatus by pushing the edge of the sheet against formation studs 56. These studs extend through slots 66e in the stripper plate and are bent-up portions of springs 61 connected to the stripper plate by rivets 58 which are located at a distance from the formation studs 66 in order to permit the springs 61 to bend and the formation studs to move down flush with theV top surface of the material being cut when the die is in use.

Whenever other cutter holder slides are interchanged with the holders I3 and I4 to obtain a different shape of channel for the cutting apparatus, it is necessary to change to a new stripper plate having a channel corresponding to that between the cutter-holder slides. The clips 51 are withdrawn and the stripper plate can then be lifted clear of the base. A new stripper plate is placed in position with its bushings 55 in the openings 53 and the clips 51 are again inserted.

The stripper plate is of thin metal and is an inexpensive part of the die. The cutter-holder slides I3 and I4 are even less expensive and it will be apparent, therefore, that this invention greatly reduces the cost of equipment necessary for cutting and punching different sizes and styles of shoe uppers. The same cutting apparatus is used for all sizes and styles. no expensive setting of punches or cutters in fixed organizations useful for decorating an edge of only one contour.

The die structure of this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which has been illustrated and described, and features of the invention may be used without others.

I claim:

l. A cutting die comprising a flexible cutter, a base supporting the flexible cutter, complementary members on the base on opposite sides of the cutter shaped to form a channel of permanent There isA contour for holding the flexible cutter to the desired outline to be cut, and means detachably securing the holding members in position so that said members are readily interchangeable with others of different contour.

2. A die structure including a base, guides secured to and extending along two sides of the base, two cutter holders held in position on the base by the guides, said holders having confronting edge faces shaped to the contour of the cut to be made, and a clamp for moving the cutter holders toward one another to clamp cutting apparatus between said confronting edge faces.

3. In a die structure, a base, cutter holders having spaced edges forming a channel for holding the cutter apparatus, retaining means for keeping the cutter holders on the base and for preventing lateral displacement of them on the base, and clamping means adapted to move the cutter holders together to reduce the width of the channel which they form.

4. Apparatus for punching a series of decorative holes along the edge of a shoe upper or other work, said apparatus comprising a plurality of punching devices, a supporting base on which the punching devices rest, two plates fastened to the base and having cooperating edge faces between which the punching devices are held to maintain them on a line having the contour desired, and a channel between the base and one of the plates for the escape of punchings.

5. A die structure comprising a laminated base having a relatively thin metallic top plate for supporting the cutting apparatus, metal covering over at least a portion of the bottom face of said base, a relatively light non-metallic section between the top plate and metal of the bottom face, said non-metallic section comprising the greater part of the thickness of the base, and means above the top plate for holding the cutting apparatus against displacement on said plate.

6. In a die structure, a metal supporting plate for the cutting apparatus and means for holding the cutting apparatus against displacement on said plate, plywood laminations secured to the under side of the metal plate and increasing the thickness of the die structure to raise the level of the cutting apparatus when the die structure is in the cutting or perforating machine with which it is intended to be used, and a metal bottom under the plywood and adapted to keep the plywood out of contact with the die support of the machine.

7. A die structure including a laminated base comprising a relatively thin metal plate, plywood laminations under the plate, metal covering at least a portion of the bottom face of the lowest plywood lamination, the combined thickness of said plywood laminations being substantially greater than the thickness of said metal plate,

and means uniting the wood and metal laminations into a unitary base, guides fastened to the top of the base along two sides of the base, said guides having channel recesses in their confronting edge faces, two slides extending between the guides and projecting into the channel recesses, and spaced edge faces on the slides dening a channel for holding to a desired contour flexible cutting apparatus resting on the metal plate.

8. A die structure including a laminated base comprising a relatively thin metal plate, plywood laminations under the plate, metal covering at least a portion of the bottom face of the lowest plywood lamination, the combined thickness of said plywood laminations being substantially greater than the thickness of said metal plate, and means uniting the wood and metal laminations into a unitary base, guides fastened to the top of the base along two -sides of the base, said guides having channel recesses in their confronting edge faces, two slides extending between the guides and projecting into the channel recesses, spaced edge faces on the slides defining a channel for holding to a desired contour flexible cutting apparatus resting on the metal plate, a clamping plate at one end of the base and extending above the base and across the end face of one of the slides, a screw for drawing the clamping plate toward the base and urging one of the slides toward the other to clamp the cutting apparatus in the channel between the slides, and a member embedded in the plywood with threads for holding said screw.

9. In a cutting and punching die, a laminated base having a metallic top plate and plywood laminations under the top plate, a stripper plate, studs extending downward from the stripper plate, a bushing freely tting around each of said studs, stops at the lower ends of the studs to keep the bushings from coming off the studs, openings in the base into which the bushings fit, clips extending through the plywood just beneath the top plate and held in position by friction against the plywood, each of said clips extending across a shoulder on an adjacent bushing to hold the bushing in the opening in the base, and a spring surrounding each of the studs and compressed between the bushing and the stripper plate,

10. In a cutting or punching die, a base, bushings detachably held in the base, a stripper plate, studs extending downward from the stripper plate and through the bushings, a stop at the lower end of each stud to limit its upward movement through the bushing, and a spring compressed between the stripper plate and each of the bushings.

11. Improvements in dies comprising a stripper plate for yieldingly supporting a piece of work over cutting apparatus on a base, said stripper plate resting on springs and having studs eX- tending into bushings located in, but readily removable from the base.

12. A cutting die comprising a flexible cutter, a base supporting the ilexible cutter, members on the base on opposite sides of the cutter and forming a channel of a given shape for holding the flexible cutter to the desired contour to be cut, r'

means detachably securing the holding members in position so that said members are readily interchangeable with others of different contour, a stripper plate above the base and having a slot with a contour corresponding to that of the channel which holds the flexible cutter, studs extending downward from the stripper plate, a bushing around each stud, a stop at the lower end of each stud to limit its upward movement through the bushing, a spring compressed between the stripper plate and each of the bushings for yieldably holding the stripper plate above the base and cutter, and clips extending through the base and into the bushings for detachably connecting the bushings and the base.

MERLE E. HALSTEAD. 

